"There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot."
- Aldo Leopold, naturalist
Last Sunday afternoon I got the urge to take a walk on our land. With Champ at my side (though not for long as he loves to run hither and yon, exploring) I headed down to a part of our land that we have chosen to let sit and return to its natural, or "wild" state. It is impossible to farm this piece of land during wet years on account of the fact that it used to be marshland. As I approached the northeast corner of this marshy area I noticed Champ barking almost hysterically into a clump of of brush and I knew that he had cornered some kind of animal. It was over the fence and into the neighbor's property so I couldn't see the animal. Usually it's a coon or a possum so I just called to Champ as I headed in an opposite direction down our property line. But shortly after calling out to him the barking turned into an all-out snarling and scuffle as this animal must have decided to make a break for it. By the time I turned to try and see who Champ had gotten into a fight with this time, the animal had run from Champ, crossed the drainage ditch and was proceeding up a tree on the opposite bank. That's when I finally saw that Champ had picked a fight with some kind of a wild cat. It had the exact same shape as a house cat, except it was two, maybe three times the size of a domesticated cat - roughly the size and weight of Champ himself. It had a solid, tawny color and I'm sure it must have had a long tail, not a bobbed one that a bobcat would have or that would have caught my attention. Later, as I was looking online for descriptions of wild cats, I came to the conclusion that this must have been a small cougar, most likely a female, or a juvenile. We have had more than one report of cougar sightings in our county within the past year, including paw prints along our own road about a mile away. When I told my partner at work he said there had been a report of a cougar sighting within the past week near his area. Information that I could glean from the internet said that cougar sightings have been on the increase in this part of the midwest, though there is no confirmation that these animals are actually settling into the area and having litters. It is still an open debate about whether the cougar is actually making a comeback to an area that has not been its habitat for over a hundred years. If that is in fact what is happening then I may be among one of the first to be an eyewitness to this phenomenon!
To some this is a scary, alarming development, especially if you raise smaller livestock such as sheep or goats. Cougars have been known to even attack horses and cows. Even though cougars rarely attack humans, it has happened, though it is usually in cases where human populations have impinged on cougar habitat to such an extent that the wild cats have gotten so familiar with humans that they have overcome their natural shyness.
Understandably, my wife is now fearful of taking walks by herself in the woods or the marshland. I guess because I am a male fear was not my response, but rather excitement - a strange, new kind of pleasure. I am not a hunter, and although I can understand why some hunt game for the purpose of eating it, I cannot appreciate hunting simply for pleasure. Hunting wild animals that are becoming too numerous and a genuine threat to our safety and livelihood is also understandable. But I think I am willing to allow cougars to make Illinois their home again if they so choose. A part of me thrills at the idea of living so close to such a large predator as a cougar. But such a reality would entail a greater soberness and carefulness that we are not familiar with. Carefree walks on the wilder parts of our land would become only a memory. The walks would definitely continue, but with increased vigilance and awareness. That may not be all bad.
I've been considering getting into the livestock business at some point, on a small scale. Knowing there could be an increasing danger of predators will figure into my decision whether or not to go ahead with those plans. All of a sudden life has become a bit more complex. Again, that may not be all bad. Complexity, biodiversity, is one of the goals of permaculture. Creator enjoyed making this world of ours full of incredible diversity, yet modern "development" continues to kill off His creations in favor of our own. Ironically, while we have assumed that our own creations have made life safer and more comfortable for us, in retrospect we are discovering that these creations of ours are, in fact, in danger of bringing about our own extinction.
This is not a simple or easy topic. But I'm more willing to take risks with Creator's "wild things" than with man's. There is a mystery and a wisdom there still waiting to be explored if one is willing to face the challenge and the risks. As Tumnus the faun said to Lucy at the end of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (in an attempt to explain Aslan) - "He is not a tame lion." Which Aslan would you rather get to know? The original, true Aslan, or a safer, tamer version?
The Spirit sent [Jesus] out into the wilderness, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals . . ."
Mark 1:12,13
Saturday, November 27, 2010
everafter
I was struck by a thought recently that was not only a totally new thought, it was a whole new paradigm or way of looking at life. The thought was this: "I am planning to stay put, to live here the rest of my life!" Until we moved back to Illinois that had never crossed my mind as a possibility. My entire life has been one of moving from one location to another. In the 28 years of married life we have moved 5 times, and before that my parents' frequency of moving was probably close to the national average of once every 5 years. It had always seemed like an anomoly to have married someone who grew up in the same house that her father had grown up in. Such things just don't happen anymore, it's not the modern way. The controlling force in people's lives today is their work. Where can one go to get a "good job"? seems to be the no. 1 issue that keeps people on the move.
Personally, I had other reasons that kept me on the move, reasons related to trying to discover my core identity and "calling" in life. As my identity and calling become increasingly linked with the land, and as it became clear that we were being entrusted with a piece of land to be caretakers of, it was a simple, natural and straightforward move to step out of the fast track of modern life and commit to putting down roots in one place for the rest of our life. Not only is that a radical shift in how one relates to and thinks about the land, it can also lead to a radical difference in how one relates to the people and community that one is living in. My wife and I have been slow to find and commit to a church body in the area. But now that we have found one that we are comfortable with I am taking it with much more seriousness and a long-term perspective that I've never had before. It is a whole new perspective for me and it feels good, it feels right.
Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. . .
The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever." (Psalm 37:3,29)
Personally, I had other reasons that kept me on the move, reasons related to trying to discover my core identity and "calling" in life. As my identity and calling become increasingly linked with the land, and as it became clear that we were being entrusted with a piece of land to be caretakers of, it was a simple, natural and straightforward move to step out of the fast track of modern life and commit to putting down roots in one place for the rest of our life. Not only is that a radical shift in how one relates to and thinks about the land, it can also lead to a radical difference in how one relates to the people and community that one is living in. My wife and I have been slow to find and commit to a church body in the area. But now that we have found one that we are comfortable with I am taking it with much more seriousness and a long-term perspective that I've never had before. It is a whole new perspective for me and it feels good, it feels right.
Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. . .
The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever." (Psalm 37:3,29)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
on being radical
The more I connect with the natural realm the more radical I feel myelf becoming. Now by radical I don't mean fanatical. I mean getting in touch with the root, or foundation, of things - the bottom line. This thought came to me as I was out in my garden picking beans - not the green beans that most people grow in their gardens, but the kind you leave on the vine until they're completely dried up and then you harvest them as dry beans (pinto, kidney, lima, etc.) that you can store and use throughout the winter. The only crops I had previously grown that could be stored for later use were winter squash (butternut, primarily) and potatoes. This year I tried my hand at corn and beans, letting them grow, mature and then dry on the stalk/vine until dry enough to harvest and store. As I was harvesting these crops this fall I thought, "Wow, so this is how it feels to actually grow the food that is going to sustain you throughout the winter. This is how people used to do it for thousands of years. This is what it means to be connected to the land. This is really radical!"
rad-i-cal, adj. 1. going to the root; fundamental; basic 2. favoring extreme social change or reform; extreme
Come to think of it, maybe I am a bit fanatical or extreme as well. I don't think it would be such a tragedy if our financial system totally collapsed and more people would be forced to grow their own corn and beans to survive. As I sat around the kitchen table, first joined by my 14 year old and then later by my 12 year old (and eventually by my wife and older son), all of us shelling the dry beans, I thought, "this is how our ancestors used to pass much of their time!" It might be a stretch to call it entertainment, but when you didn't have TV or the internet, or even radio, it did help you pass the time in a statisfying sort of way to sit around the table together with family and possibly neighbors, developing the fine art of conversation (which is fast becoming a lost art in our e-world of cyberspace) all the while contributing to a basic (radical) need of your (or your neighbor's) family.
One of my older sons made a very perceptive comment that ties in with all this. He said that when he has access to things like television and the internet he ends up watching or using it because it is so easy/accessible and it does bring a kind of immediate pleasure. But if he's in a situation (say, camping out in a remote place) where these things aren't an option he finds he doesn't even miss them. The reason, I believe, is because these electronic devices don't tap into the most basic, fundamental aspects of who we really are. If I had a choice between these electronic devices and shelling beans with my family and neighbors I wouldn't even have to hesitate to choose the face to face, hands on experience over the electronic option.
Am I just a hopeless old fogey refusing to face up to "future shock", to a world that's changing faster than I can adapt to it? Those whose lives are so inter-twined with the electronic media of the day would say I'm hopelessly stuck in the Middle Ages. Maybe there are true radicals out there in cyberspace as well - I'm sure there must be and I would like to meet them. All I know is that I prefer to stay close to the food production end of the spectrum (i.e. the land) because that's pretty basic to something called health and survival. I'll never forget something my grandpa Welch used to say: "When you get old there are only two things that really matter: health and family." He wasn't known to be a radical, but I would call that a radical statement.
p.s. I think I have discovered where the expression, "spilling the beans" or "don't spill the beans" comes from. As we were taking the dried beans out of their brittle shells or skins, every so often a bean of two would inadvertently pop out its shell and land on the floor or some unexpected spot (like down the neck of your shirt!). As hard as we tried it seemed like we couldn't avoid spilling at least a few beans in the process of shelling them. So have some compassion on those who just can't help "spilling the beans" - it really is hard not to!
rad-i-cal, adj. 1. going to the root; fundamental; basic 2. favoring extreme social change or reform; extreme
Come to think of it, maybe I am a bit fanatical or extreme as well. I don't think it would be such a tragedy if our financial system totally collapsed and more people would be forced to grow their own corn and beans to survive. As I sat around the kitchen table, first joined by my 14 year old and then later by my 12 year old (and eventually by my wife and older son), all of us shelling the dry beans, I thought, "this is how our ancestors used to pass much of their time!" It might be a stretch to call it entertainment, but when you didn't have TV or the internet, or even radio, it did help you pass the time in a statisfying sort of way to sit around the table together with family and possibly neighbors, developing the fine art of conversation (which is fast becoming a lost art in our e-world of cyberspace) all the while contributing to a basic (radical) need of your (or your neighbor's) family.
One of my older sons made a very perceptive comment that ties in with all this. He said that when he has access to things like television and the internet he ends up watching or using it because it is so easy/accessible and it does bring a kind of immediate pleasure. But if he's in a situation (say, camping out in a remote place) where these things aren't an option he finds he doesn't even miss them. The reason, I believe, is because these electronic devices don't tap into the most basic, fundamental aspects of who we really are. If I had a choice between these electronic devices and shelling beans with my family and neighbors I wouldn't even have to hesitate to choose the face to face, hands on experience over the electronic option.
Am I just a hopeless old fogey refusing to face up to "future shock", to a world that's changing faster than I can adapt to it? Those whose lives are so inter-twined with the electronic media of the day would say I'm hopelessly stuck in the Middle Ages. Maybe there are true radicals out there in cyberspace as well - I'm sure there must be and I would like to meet them. All I know is that I prefer to stay close to the food production end of the spectrum (i.e. the land) because that's pretty basic to something called health and survival. I'll never forget something my grandpa Welch used to say: "When you get old there are only two things that really matter: health and family." He wasn't known to be a radical, but I would call that a radical statement.
p.s. I think I have discovered where the expression, "spilling the beans" or "don't spill the beans" comes from. As we were taking the dried beans out of their brittle shells or skins, every so often a bean of two would inadvertently pop out its shell and land on the floor or some unexpected spot (like down the neck of your shirt!). As hard as we tried it seemed like we couldn't avoid spilling at least a few beans in the process of shelling them. So have some compassion on those who just can't help "spilling the beans" - it really is hard not to!
Friday, May 28, 2010
one's niche
How does one know for sure that they have "found their niche" in life? Well, I think I have found one good way for determining that. Yesterday, when I got home from work I did what I usually do. I took off my shoes and went out into the garden to continue working at what I enjoy working at! But no sooner had I stepped out of the door than I felt a sharp stinging sensation on one of my toes. Knowing I had probably stepped on a bee feeding on one of the many clovers now in bloom I quickly shook it off. But I could feel the intensity of the sting was not abating so I took a look at that toe and sure enough, there was the bee stinger still stuck in my toe. Removing it alleviated the pain just slightly and, from past similar experiences I wasn't too concerned because I don't have any allergic reactions to insect stings. I debated whether to go inside and put some baking soda on it (one home remedy) but instead tried another remedy I'd heard of. Plucking the leaf of a plantain plant, which are as common as dandelions in most places, I chewed on it and stuck the wad of chewed plantain between the affected toe and its neighbor. The pain continued for about another 5-10 minutes, but then it quit altogether. One of my sons wasn't convinced that the plantain did the trick. He said his bee sting bites have felt better in that length of time anyway . . .
Anyway, I decided I needed to weed a part of the garden where the weeds were doing especially well (which I haven't minded up until now because those weeds included dandelion, plantain, lambsquarter and violets, all of which are quite edible and which I have been putting into our "green smoothies" every day). I was aware that part of the weed mix included a few stinging nettles but didn't think there were enough of them to bother getting gloves. So I proceeded to weed those nettles along with the other weeds, and sure enough, I felt the effects of those nettles on some of my fingers. But it wasn't that bad, certainly not as bad as the bee sting. Now the mosquitos, which also love lush vegetation, were a bit of a nuisance but I decided I'd put up with them in order to get the job done. I despise mosquito repellants almost more than the mosquitos and I've observed that as the spring and summer wears on my body must develop some sort of its own repellant because mosquitos bother me less and less. So I'll put up with their bites now and let nature take its course. I'm blessed to not have much of a reaction to mosquito bites, unlike others who can get good-sized welts from their bites.
Long story short, after sweating it out in the late afternoon sun and high humidity, fighting mosquitos, putting up with stinging nettle skin irritation and a bee sting, I could still report at suppertime that I had an enjoyable time in the garden. My oldest son's response was, "That's how you know what you're supposed to be doing with your life!" And I heartedly concurred. I knew I had truly found my niche.
Anyway, I decided I needed to weed a part of the garden where the weeds were doing especially well (which I haven't minded up until now because those weeds included dandelion, plantain, lambsquarter and violets, all of which are quite edible and which I have been putting into our "green smoothies" every day). I was aware that part of the weed mix included a few stinging nettles but didn't think there were enough of them to bother getting gloves. So I proceeded to weed those nettles along with the other weeds, and sure enough, I felt the effects of those nettles on some of my fingers. But it wasn't that bad, certainly not as bad as the bee sting. Now the mosquitos, which also love lush vegetation, were a bit of a nuisance but I decided I'd put up with them in order to get the job done. I despise mosquito repellants almost more than the mosquitos and I've observed that as the spring and summer wears on my body must develop some sort of its own repellant because mosquitos bother me less and less. So I'll put up with their bites now and let nature take its course. I'm blessed to not have much of a reaction to mosquito bites, unlike others who can get good-sized welts from their bites.
Long story short, after sweating it out in the late afternoon sun and high humidity, fighting mosquitos, putting up with stinging nettle skin irritation and a bee sting, I could still report at suppertime that I had an enjoyable time in the garden. My oldest son's response was, "That's how you know what you're supposed to be doing with your life!" And I heartedly concurred. I knew I had truly found my niche.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
barefoot holiness II
The following is an excerpt from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem, Aurora Leigh.
And truly, I reiterate, . . nothing's small!
No lily-muffled hum of a summer-bee,
But finds some coupling with the spinning stars;
No pebble at your foot, but proves a sphere;
No chaffinch, but implies the cherubim:
And,–glancing on my own thin, veined wrist,–
In such a little tremour of the blood
The whole strong clamour of a vehement soul
Doth utter itself distinct. Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries,
And daub their natural faces unaware
More and more, from the first similitude.
Bk. VII, l. 812-826
And truly, I reiterate, . . nothing's small!
No lily-muffled hum of a summer-bee,
But finds some coupling with the spinning stars;
No pebble at your foot, but proves a sphere;
No chaffinch, but implies the cherubim:
And,–glancing on my own thin, veined wrist,–
In such a little tremour of the blood
The whole strong clamour of a vehement soul
Doth utter itself distinct. Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries,
And daub their natural faces unaware
More and more, from the first similitude.
Bk. VII, l. 812-826
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
barefoot holiness
Have you ever wondered why God told Moses at the burning bush that he needed to take off his sandals? The reason given was that he was on holy ground. But what does that mean? I haven't read commentaries on this but I do have some thoughts that have come to me since I have taken to gardening . . . barefoot.
One of the first clues I got that God and going barefoot might somehow be related was hearing from someone I highly respected who once commented that God told him that he needed to spend more time off of the concrete (that covers our metropolitan areas) in order to walk on the earth itself. While no mention was made of going barefoot, I put this together with the advice of another spiritual leader I respect who often travels overseas. He claims that if you take off your shoes and spend some time making skin to earth contact (what he actually suggested was to rub your bare feet around in the sand if you are near a beach) it will help to relieve jet lag. Both these comments suggest that the earth, the ground itself, has something to offer us in terms of our health or well-being. I wasn't really thinking about all this when I decided to go barefoot outside more, especially while working in the garden. It was primarily intuitive on my part - it somehow just felt better (once I got over the tenderfoot syndrome). But my anecdotal evidence for the virtue of going barefoot is based on more than just feelings. I've noticed that of my two persistent planters warts, one has completely disappeared and the other has been diminishing in size. Also, the toenail of my little toe on my left foot which has a fungus growing under it is showing signs of recovery as well. Where there used to be a solid mass under the nail, now that mass is like a honeycomb, as if the mass is beginning to dissolve! It looks like the time I tried to kill the fungus by soaking my foot in a vinegar solution. That did the trick too, but the fungus came right back when I quit the treatments. Now the fungus is on the retreat without my having to give it a second thought. All I have to do is to enjoy going barefoot!
We know that the earth was (and continues to be) definitely affected by mankind's sin. It does not produce fruit and vegetables as easily and effortlessly as it apparently did before the Fall. Nevertheless, the Scriptures say some remarkable things about the land. "If you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you" (Lev. 18:28). Sounds like the land prefers holiness or righteousness over sin and evil! Even more amazing is that well known cry of the seraphim, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3)! As affected as the earth is by our sin it seems to have a capacity that we humans don't possess to contain God's glory. Not that we also can't become vehicles or containers for God's glory, but our propensities lie in the opposite direction (toward sin), while the earth or the land seems to more naturally lend itself to the glory of God.
The land, the ground we walk on, speaks to me of humility. To be humble is to always bear in mind that we are but dust. Pride is wanting to shake off the dust, to elevate oneself above and away from the dirt. Yet we are told that "the high and lofty One . . .who lives forever, whose name is holy" chooses to draw close, and live with, "him who is contrite and lowly in spirit." (Isaiah 57:15). This is what I call one of those "oxymoronic realities" of life. Two opposite realities that would not appear to fit together somehow coming together and being united. I've heard preachers talk about the "upside-down kingdom", how the way up to God is by going down (humbling oneself and taking up ones' cross). But the lost part of that message is that living closer to the earth (one example being, going barefoot whenever possible) is a very tangible and God-pleasing way to "walk humbly with your God." It may be uncomfortable at first - and yes, there are even dangers involved - but the longer you try it and stick with it you will discover that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Drawing closer to God is never an easy or painless process. But I'm convinced that the land has a vital role to play in that process, however you choose to connect with it (there are other ways to do this than by going barefoot :-). I freely admit we all have different callings and we aren't all called to live with dirt under our nails. But it sure doesn't hurt and I'm discovering it can actually help.
Increase your awareness - go barefoot!
One of the first clues I got that God and going barefoot might somehow be related was hearing from someone I highly respected who once commented that God told him that he needed to spend more time off of the concrete (that covers our metropolitan areas) in order to walk on the earth itself. While no mention was made of going barefoot, I put this together with the advice of another spiritual leader I respect who often travels overseas. He claims that if you take off your shoes and spend some time making skin to earth contact (what he actually suggested was to rub your bare feet around in the sand if you are near a beach) it will help to relieve jet lag. Both these comments suggest that the earth, the ground itself, has something to offer us in terms of our health or well-being. I wasn't really thinking about all this when I decided to go barefoot outside more, especially while working in the garden. It was primarily intuitive on my part - it somehow just felt better (once I got over the tenderfoot syndrome). But my anecdotal evidence for the virtue of going barefoot is based on more than just feelings. I've noticed that of my two persistent planters warts, one has completely disappeared and the other has been diminishing in size. Also, the toenail of my little toe on my left foot which has a fungus growing under it is showing signs of recovery as well. Where there used to be a solid mass under the nail, now that mass is like a honeycomb, as if the mass is beginning to dissolve! It looks like the time I tried to kill the fungus by soaking my foot in a vinegar solution. That did the trick too, but the fungus came right back when I quit the treatments. Now the fungus is on the retreat without my having to give it a second thought. All I have to do is to enjoy going barefoot!
We know that the earth was (and continues to be) definitely affected by mankind's sin. It does not produce fruit and vegetables as easily and effortlessly as it apparently did before the Fall. Nevertheless, the Scriptures say some remarkable things about the land. "If you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you" (Lev. 18:28). Sounds like the land prefers holiness or righteousness over sin and evil! Even more amazing is that well known cry of the seraphim, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3)! As affected as the earth is by our sin it seems to have a capacity that we humans don't possess to contain God's glory. Not that we also can't become vehicles or containers for God's glory, but our propensities lie in the opposite direction (toward sin), while the earth or the land seems to more naturally lend itself to the glory of God.
The land, the ground we walk on, speaks to me of humility. To be humble is to always bear in mind that we are but dust. Pride is wanting to shake off the dust, to elevate oneself above and away from the dirt. Yet we are told that "the high and lofty One . . .who lives forever, whose name is holy" chooses to draw close, and live with, "him who is contrite and lowly in spirit." (Isaiah 57:15). This is what I call one of those "oxymoronic realities" of life. Two opposite realities that would not appear to fit together somehow coming together and being united. I've heard preachers talk about the "upside-down kingdom", how the way up to God is by going down (humbling oneself and taking up ones' cross). But the lost part of that message is that living closer to the earth (one example being, going barefoot whenever possible) is a very tangible and God-pleasing way to "walk humbly with your God." It may be uncomfortable at first - and yes, there are even dangers involved - but the longer you try it and stick with it you will discover that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Drawing closer to God is never an easy or painless process. But I'm convinced that the land has a vital role to play in that process, however you choose to connect with it (there are other ways to do this than by going barefoot :-). I freely admit we all have different callings and we aren't all called to live with dirt under our nails. But it sure doesn't hurt and I'm discovering it can actually help.
Increase your awareness - go barefoot!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
a great privilege
Recently, as I was eagerly beginning to work again in the garden after the long, cold winter, I felt overwhelmed by the privilege of being married to a farmer's daughter. To be able to live on acres of land and to contribute to being a caretaker and "husband" of the land is truly a special honor that I don't take lightly and am learning to treasure more and more. My upbringing, which was typical of many American upbringings, saw gardening as a nice hobby with healthy side benefits. But with God's help I have come to see that working with the land is vastly more than a mere hobby or healthy past-time. In the Scriptures, the garden is not just the beginning point in God's relationship with man; throughout the Bible, references are made to Israel being a "vineyard", or God's people "the garden of His delight." It is a place of intimacy, where Jesus himself is called "the vine" and his father is the "vinedresser", and we are the "branches". The Bible ends with references to a tree (or trees) on both sides of the river that is flowing from the throne of God, which bears fruit continually and whose leaves provide healing for the nations. I believe these are more than just metaphors, but are representations of what actually will one day be a tangible reality. God created us as physical beings who are meant to partake of heaven and earth simultaneously. Our destiny is not heaven, but rather a "new earth" where the physical dimension will continue, only in a greater and more enhanced form.
So what's my point? I feel like a wealthy, incredibly blessed person to be able to live on a farm with acres and acres of land to manage. Only the enemy of our souls could invent a lie that says working with the soil is a dirty profession without any real dignity, best reserved for the lower classes. In my book, nothing could be further from the truth. The bulk of the greatest saints in Scripture lived very close to the earth. They were people who loved doing "dirty" things like tediously planting vineyards, helping a ewe out with a difficult birth, etc., etc. It was the exception, not the rule, for an occasional saint to be in what we would today call "white collar" work. But even those few "white collar" saints would have gotten those collars dirty because it was common for priests or scribes to still have their own garden and grow most of their own food.
It wasn't too terribly long ago when most Americans grew a lot of their own food too - at least those who lived in rural area. But nowadays it is an increasingly rare sight, even in the country, to see a large portion of people's yards devoted to raising food or growing herbs and flowers. Growing money has replaced growing gardens. This is a tragedy on so many levels, not the least of which, is our very relationship with God. Man invented making money, but only God could invent gardening. I would encourage you to rediscover - and keep rediscovering - our Creator's creation.
So what's my point? I feel like a wealthy, incredibly blessed person to be able to live on a farm with acres and acres of land to manage. Only the enemy of our souls could invent a lie that says working with the soil is a dirty profession without any real dignity, best reserved for the lower classes. In my book, nothing could be further from the truth. The bulk of the greatest saints in Scripture lived very close to the earth. They were people who loved doing "dirty" things like tediously planting vineyards, helping a ewe out with a difficult birth, etc., etc. It was the exception, not the rule, for an occasional saint to be in what we would today call "white collar" work. But even those few "white collar" saints would have gotten those collars dirty because it was common for priests or scribes to still have their own garden and grow most of their own food.
It wasn't too terribly long ago when most Americans grew a lot of their own food too - at least those who lived in rural area. But nowadays it is an increasingly rare sight, even in the country, to see a large portion of people's yards devoted to raising food or growing herbs and flowers. Growing money has replaced growing gardens. This is a tragedy on so many levels, not the least of which, is our very relationship with God. Man invented making money, but only God could invent gardening. I would encourage you to rediscover - and keep rediscovering - our Creator's creation.
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